During the past week or so, Rotary International President Ian Riseley has been in his home country of Australia. The main event for the trip was the Rotary International Presidential Peacebuilding Conference held in Sydney, but we were lucky enough to have him in Queensland for a few short days before he boarded his plane for Singapore and points beyond.
Rotary International President Ian Riseley (with shovel), PDG Juliet (at his left) with participants in the tree-planting ceremony.

 
Several RCoB Rotarians and a soon-to-be Rotarian (Phil, Robyn, Rick, Jillanne and Mark) were able to attend a special dinner in RIP Ian's honour at Fitzy's in Loganholme on Mon 19th March. The dinner was well-attended with over 200 guests. Besides having a great opportunity to meet other Rotarians from the three districts, we got to hear entertaining and informative speeches from RIP Ian Riseley and his wife PDG Juliet. They talked about topics including the future of Rotary, what might be the next BIG PROJECT after Polio Plus, The importance of Peace Centres and what they are doing to improve the world, redistricting, how to improve the gender balance in Rotary and other things. Fitzy's put on a pretty good 2-course meal for $55 as well.
 
 
RIP Ian Riseley and his wife PDG Juliet address Rotarians at the Combined districts 9600, 9630 and 9640 dinner in his honour.
 
RIP Ian's busy schedule continued the following morning on campus at UQ, where, like every other RIP before him, he planted a tree in the Rotary Peace Park next to the Toowong Rowing Club boatshed with the help of the Hon Jane Prentice MP, a platoon of DGs and PDGs and a flight of Rotary Peace Fellows and several senior staff from UQ itself. The event was fun and symbolic of the passion with which RIP Ian Riseley and Rotary in general are waging peace and the support this is receiving from many directions in the wider community.
 
"Our" Peace Fellow Morgan Marks moves the earth for Peace.
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